UTICA, N.Y. -- There's a story behind every picture and bottle at the Saranac Brewery in Utica. During the 1800s, the family owed Company F.X. Matt, which runs the Saranac Brewery, played an important part in ending the prohibition. They wasted no time getting back to business once the dry law was repealed.
"We actually obtained our license within 60 minutes and sold the first beer within 90 minutes. So it was a big time for all, and the first beer was sold at Hotel Utica to the song "Happy days are here again," said Meghan Fraser, Saranac Marketing Coordinator.
And it was here that Francis Xavier Matt, better known as F.X., made his dream of brewing beer in the United States come true.
"He came over here in 1853 and basically built this company. He used to work at the Duke of Baden brewery, which was in Germany, and when he came over here he took over the brewery," said Fraser.
There's a story behind every picture and bottle at the Saranac Brewery in Utica. During the 1800s, the family owed Company F.X. Matt, which runs the Saranac Brewery, played an important part in ending the prohibition. They wasted no time getting back to business once the dry law was repealed.
Because the F.X. Matt brewing company has been a family business for nearly four generations, they are able to stay true to the original brewing process.
"Most of the equipment is the original equipment that we have used since World War II, which is when the brew has was built. So everything you see here from the beginning to the end of the process is original, including our famous copper kettles," said Fraser.
And from the kettle to the bottle takes six to eight weeks to make this generation's old brew. And the company hopes people can take in a little bit of history whenever they stop by the brewery or take a sip.